Novato boy burned in explosion transferred to San Francisco hospital

A 16-year-old Novato boy who suffered second- and third-degree burns from an explosion at his family's home Friday was transferred to St. Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco, which has a burn center, after receiving initial treatment at a Novato Community Hospital, a sheriff's spokesman said.

Sheriff's Lt. Doug Pittman said he did not have an update on the boy's condition Sunday. He was reportedly being treated for burns on his face, neck and chest.

The blast reportedly occurred Friday morning around 10:30 a.m on the 1100 block of Bel Marin Keys Boulevard, when the boy and his father were attempting to use a mixture of gun powder and magnesium to break up concrete supports for fence posts in the family's yard.

The boy's father told sheriff's deputies that they were having trouble lighting the mixture, so he increased the amount of gunpowder, then used a torch to light a hand flare to try to ignite the explosives.

But the flare, being held by his son, set off the explosion prematurely.

The bomb squad from the University of California at Berkeley was brought in to evaluate the powder used in the explosion, but the results of the analysis were not known, Pittman said.

The squad is federally funded, allowing it to provide its services to other agencies at no cost, he said.

The investigation is continuing. The Marin County Sheriff's Office is determining whether to pursue charges of negligence and child endangerment, Pittman said.